The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-02-10
DOWN TO DEATH.
Fearful Accident on the Central
Vermont Railroad.
Train Precipitated Into the White River
Fire Adds to the Terrors of the Scene
"A Partial List of the
Victims.

| train that left Boston at seven O'Clock last
night met with a terrible accident near
Woodstock, on the Central Vermont rail-
road, at about 2:2O this morning. The train
started from this city on time, but was de-
tanned at White River Junction. 50 it was
about an hour and half late when it left
there. II consisted Of locomotive, bag
gage car, postal car, two passenger coaches
and two sleeping cars, and was running
at the usual rate of speed.
When about two hundred yards south
of the end of the dock bridge, near Old
Windsor station, broken rail was struck.
The locomotive, baggage car and postal car
broke away from the rest of the train, pass
ing over the bridge in safety. The rest of
the train was thrown from the rails and con-
tinued on the road until it came near the end
Of the bridge, but there it ran over the abut-
ment and all OF the cars fell into the White
river, some fifty feet below The gorge
at this point was frightful, and when
the cars went down there was a terrible
crash. As soon as possible the detached
part Of the train stopped and ran back to
the scene OF the disaster. The screams of
the injured people were heartrending. AS
sistance also came from the people living in
the vicinity and every thing was done to
rescue and relieve the injured. Soon after
help arrived it was discovered that the fire
had started in the first passenger
coach and soon the entire train was
ablaZe, thus adding new horror to the
already frightful catastrophe. Those pres
ent were pOwerlesS. to stop the fire and de-
voted themselves entirely to attempting to
rescue those imprisoned in the wreck The
rescuers met another and unexpected Obsta-
Gle In the heat, which had become so intense
that they were obliged to relinquish their
efforts to save the sufferers, and were COM
PEELED to retreat to place of safety and TO
become unwilling, horror-stricken wit
nesses to the awful holocaust. In addi-
ton to this, and to add to the terror and
sufferings of the passengers the weather
was intensely cold and the heroic rescuers
were hindered thereby in their work. No
water could be obtained with which to
check or eXtinguish the flames. The ice
was several inches thick on the river and
there were no appliances at hand with
which to raise il.
LATER.
1t will be impossible to tell how many
were Oh the train, as the conductor had
only begun taking up tickets. Many bodies
have probably gone into the river and I'M
der the ice Most of the bodies recovered
were taken to the village of Hartford and
placed IN an undertaker's establish
ment. Thirty-nine bodies in all have
been taken out of the wreck and
only five of them are in any manner reccg-
nizable. 1t is positively known that forty
two persons persisted, while there is a prob
ability that a number of other corpses will
be found in the wreck under the ice in the
creek. Just how many persons were killed
can not be ascertained while there exists so
much uncertainty as to the number on the
train.
THE WORST NOT YET KNOWN.
One of the wrecked cars on the ice has
not yet been Overhauled and it is thought
that at least twenty bodies are in the de-
bris. Should this prove so it will run the
list of the killed up to over sixty. This
will not inclGde those who may have been
carried INTO the river through the ice.
Latest computations as to the number of
persons on the train place 1t at over 100
When the last car on the ice is
Overhauled tomorrow and further
identifcations take place a more complete
list of the killed will be obtainable, al
though It is thought that a score Of the
bodies already recovered are so disfgured
by being crushed and bruised as to preclude
any pOSSlDlllty OF UclIlS lueHIlIlcu MANY
of the survivors will probably die of their
wounds. Considering the height from
which the cars fell and the speed at which
the train was running. it is regarded as
miraculous that any one escaped.
A BROTHERS AWFUL EXPERIENCE.
WORCESTER, Mass, Feb. &C. w .Bowker,
a commission merchant of this city, was on
the down train from Montreal this
morning and passed several hours at the
scene of the wreck. The burned tinbers
of the bridge and cars and charred
bodies of the victims are scattered
over the ice The crowd assembled was
enormous. ''One came to me-" said he,
while l stood gazing at the fearful sight,
and pointing to Inc middle of the ruins,
said MY brother lies In there burned to
death. He was not hurt much, l think, but
hemmed in frightfully. l worked with all
my might to save him, but it was no use.
The fire drove me back and he perished.'